Hutchison Takes Step Closer to Being NATO Ambassador

By Bill O’Neil

Former Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison takes a step closer to becoming the next United States Ambassador to NATO.

“She’s always been a trailblazer. After graduating from the University of Texas Law School, she became the first female on-air news reporter in Houston” Senator John Cornyn said as he introduced Hutchison to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Senator Ted Cruz echoed that support before the Committee.

“After years of inadequate resourcing, Kay led an effort in the Senate to rebuild our military” Cruz said.

For her part, Hutchison told the Committee she strongly believes in NATO and the alliance’s mission.

“I have said as a U.S. Senator–and will continue to say that this alliance is something like the world has never seen” Hutchison said.

However, she also clearly stands behind President Donald Trump’s push to get members to contribute more cash.

“2% of GDP on defense and 20% of total defense expenditures on defense modernization. Allies need to meet this commitment” Hutchison said, adding “President Trump has said each ally should honor the pledge to increase spending because it will make all of our efforts more robust, our deterrence credible and the cost of our collective defense will not unfairly rest on the shoulders of American taxpayers.”